It's Affinity to Serendipity
by aeternium
Summary: It's not a genetic disposition. It's about having the right equipment. Because I'm always scrounging for ways to explain why Leia remembers Padmé.


Response to LJ prompt: Psychometry.

"Psychometry or telemetry was a Force power that was a mental technique of picking up impressions and traces of information about the object touched and the events that have surrounded it. This power allowed the user to view events as if they were there, including the sights, sounds, and feelings, both emotional and physical, that the wielder of the object experienced. This power was easier to use on personal objects that were used frequently. Objects that were used once or by several people often made the use of this power difficult, though it was still possible. This skill was useful for tracking though it was not useful in open battle and would fail to render useful information at times."

* * *

"_Your Majesty, I've just received word that another Trade Federation control ship has been detected in the sector."_

_"You are certain their destination is Naboo?"_

_"That appears to be its trajectory."_

_

* * *

_

"Papa?"

"Just a moment."

It had been a moment.

"Papa!"

"I'm very busy, darling."

"Papa, it's important."

She waited a moment, and when he didn't look up from his paperwork, Leia made the turn around his giant desk and settled herself on his lap. Bail groaned indulgently and set down the datapad.

He pushed behind her ear a lock of hair that had escaped her braid and said, "Alright then, what's so important, Lelila?"

* * *

_"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act to not be here when it's fate is decided!"_

_"Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us."_

_"Anakin… you've grown up."_

_

* * *

_

Bail would have smiled at the serious look that came across his seven-year-old daughter's face, but had healthy experience with her hatred of not being taken seriously, and therefore assumed the most tragic of expressions.

"Well," she said gravely, "I was thinking about what you and Mama told me 'adopted' meant."

Well. That was unexpected.

Bail raised his eyebrows, wondering where exactly this conversation was leading. He and Breha had discussed it at length and knew she would have to know she was adopted. After all, Leia looked about as Alderaani as a Corellian. What they had yet to come to a decisive conclusion on, however, was how much more than that they could tell her.

"You were?"

Leia nodded. "Yes, and then I told Winter about how you and Mama became my parents because my other parents died. And _she_ said that her parents died, too, and that her mother used to work for you."

"Yes, she did."

"Did _my_ real mother work for you, too?"

* * *

_"Oh, you don't always have to be so literal, Ani. That's not at all what I meant."_

_"It was a joke, Senator. You should smile more. It's okay to laugh at yourself sometimes."_

_"I – I know that…"_

_"We should go. The transport leaves in fifteen minutes."_

_

* * *

_

He paled. Such an innocent question, and his innocent daughter… of course she would ask. Leia was a smart girl, and deserved to know what Padmé had been, what she had done. But he and Breha hadn't discussed it. Too little time had passed, they never imagined they would have to deal with it so soon. Seven years had gone so quickly. But Leia deserved to know. And she wasn't asking about _him._ That would be another hurdle, later on, when she learned about such things.

It was wrong to keep it from her entirely, but how much to tell?

"No," he said finally. "No, she didn't."

"Oh," said Leia, a bit disappointedly. Of course she wanted to be just like Winter. Maybe that would be enough to put her off the scent for now.

"Who was she, then?"

Or not.

* * *

_"It wouldn't have to be that way. We could keep it a secret."_

_"We'd be living a lie. I couldn't do that. Could you, Anakin? Could you live like that?"_

_"No. You're right, it would destroy us."_

_

* * *

_

"She… she was a dear friend. She was a politician like Mama and I, from another system."

"Which one?"

"Naboo."

Leia furrowed her brow. She didn't know that one. But when one is a seven-year-old girl, there are higher priorities to consider.

"Was she beautiful like Mama?" she asked.

Bail laughed. "Beautiful like you, my Lelila. And very fashionable."

"Really?"

"Really. In fact," he said, suddenly remembering, "there's something I think you would very much like to see."

* * *

_"Are you in love?"_

_"I – what?"_

_"I'm sorry, that was rude. You're just so worried about him and I remember how I felt when Owen went out after her before and it just seemed like you might want to talk about it, because I certainly did and no one was really there and – damn, I'm rambling."_

_"No, I don't mind. I do care about him. He means a lot to me."_

_"You just don't know how much."_

_"No, I… I do."_

_

* * *

_

Gently, he placed her back on her feet and stood himself. Excitedly, Leia followed him across the office to one of the many cabinets that occupied the opposite end.

Bail stood there a moment before looking at her pointedly.

"Ahem."

She rolled her eyes and made a great show of covering them.

"Thank you."

He punched in the code and the electro-sealed doors slid open, revealing a hollow square in the wall. Inside, as far as Leia could see, were nothing but dozens of identical canisters, all labeled by date. Bail ran his finger over the labels, finally settling on a canister towards the upper-middle, and slid it out. The others immediately magnetically rearranged themselves as he shut the doors once more.

Solemnly he placed the container on his desk. Leia looked away once more as he unlocked it, and then retrieved something from its depths.

* * *

_"Anyways, the freighter captain was bringing a shipment to a restaurant, and he gave me something to bring home. We just have to – what?"_

_"You called this home."_

_"Well, what else would I call it?"_

_

* * *

_

Leia was not impressed.

"Um… what are those, Papa?"

Bail smiled, looking down at the two silver links in his hand and back to his daughter.

"These," he said, "belonged to your mother. She always styled her hair very intricately, and these were necessary to keep most of her hairdos in place."

"Oh! Do you have any holos, Papa?"

Bail's heart sank. He did, but she couldn't connect them to the senator from Naboo. There was too much history, too much gossip she would hear eventually.

"I'm sorry, darling, I don't. But I have a better idea. Why don't you keep these? Your hair is just like hers was, I'm sure you could try some of the hairstyles."

"Oh, Papa, could I?"

"Certainly. Traditional Naboo sidebuns are the simplest, we'll try that first."

* * *

_"You're trembling. What's wrong?"_

_"Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant."_

_"That's… that – that's wonderful."_

_"What are we going to do?"_

_"We're not gonna worry about anything right now. This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life."_


End file.
